The archetypal premium roadster, the W113 Mercedes SL – nicknamed ‘Pagoda’ for the characterful profile of its hard-top roof – is a supremely desirable car. The model we have here is a 230 SL, one of the original run of Pagodas that was produced between 1963-67; this is a 1966 model, and it’s noteworthy that this is a right-hand-drive UK car rather than an LHD import.

Now, the dream scenario with any classic car is to be able to trace its history back to the beginning with no black holes in its past, and that’s precisely what we’re able to do with this Pagoda. We can see from the V5 that there are three former keepers, and digging through the history file reveals their identities: the original books are present and list the first keeper (who took delivery in early May 1966), and there’s period correspondence between him and Mercedes-Benz UK from the late 1960s. A hand-written letter from 2011 details how the second keeper was the first’s neighbour, and had thus known the car all his life – he bought it from their widow in 1978 when the clock was showing 34,000 miles; after a time it went into storage, and was then recommissioned in 1997 when he retired. He then sold it via a London-based dealer to its third owner, the mileage at that time reading 53,000.

…and now here the Pagoda is, refreshed and ready for sale once more. The car has been in storage since 2015, the mileage now reading 64,600, and the seller has given it a thorough recommissioning. With the fuel system overhauled and treated to a new metering unit, the cooling system drained and refreshed, and four new tyres fitted, it drives like a dream today and will be supplied to its new owner with a fresh MOT. It’s evidently been very well looked after over the years, with many invoices in the file from the renowned specialist Steve Redfearn, and the interior reportedly retrimmed by the specialist Kevin O’Keefe for a sum of c.£10,000. Inside, outside and underneath it’s a truly lovely example of the sought-after 230 SL.

The cabin of a Pagoda is a lovely place to be, and we’re told that this one has had a full retrim by the respected specialist Kevin O’Keefe, apparently at a cost of around £10,000. The seat trim is beautiful and the bases are plumply stuffed and supportive, with the seat-backs tilting correctly to allow access to the storage area behind. The carpets are in good order, as is the wood centre stowage. The steering wheel centre has a split in the leather, but is otherwise in very good order.
 
The car is fitted with a period Becker Europa push-button radio, with aftermarket Sony two-way speakers in the rear. The wood trim on the dash-top is looking a little careworn, although the dash itself is in good order with no cracks in the top, and it’s pleasing to note that the courtesy light inside the glovebox is working. All of the dials appear to be working correctly, and a previous owner has mounted a tasteful brass compass to the dash.

Inside the boot it’s all dry and tidy, with a good carpet and the original jack and fully-stocked tool roll.

White is arguably the best colour for a Pagoda, and this one really does present beautifully. It’s had a handful of body repairs in its lifetime, with three of the wings having had corrosion repairs and a re-paint, but the work’s been done so well that you’d never know. The light lenses and window glass are all good, and the chrome trim is in lovely condition; the bumpers were replaced in the late 1990s, and the rear bumper was re-chromed in 2013.

The car wears original-spec steel wheels with the correct colour-matched hubcaps (matched to the black of the hard-top), and they’ve been treated to a brand new set of tyres. The car comes complete with both its hard-top and soft-top. The hard-top is very good indeed, with none of the corrosion that so often afflicts them, and it’s finished in a gleaming black that contrasts beautifully with the white bodywork. Inside the hard-top, the headlining and wood trim is all in good condition; the roof is easily detached and reattached, with the correct tool present. The soft-top is in great condition too, with no holes and a nice clear window; it’s a little mildewy on the inside at the rear, but this will only be down to the fact that it’s spent so long hidden away beneath its tonneau, and should be easy to clean up.

Panel fit is good throughout the car with everything sitting nice and even. And a unique detail is that a former keeper has fitted a very small pair of brass shield emblems to the doors – look closely and you’ll see they have little birds with dramatic wings!

The Pagoda’s drivetrain is a pleasingly sweet arrangement, with the fuel-injected straight-six mated to a slick automatic transmission, and it’s all in fine fettle here. We can see from the history file that the car has been attended to by the right specialists over the years, and today it’s running fabulously: happy to fire up and comfortable with settling into an eager idle – indeed, we left it idling throughout the whole photoshoot (hence the occasional puffs of vapour from the exhaust you can see in the photos – it was a very cold November morning!), just to see how it would behave. 

And it behaved perfectly, idling smoothly and with the temperature gauge sitting just where it should. On the move, the gearbox is smooth and shifts in a timely fashion, with the engine keen to pull through the revs. The suspension rides beautifully with no knocks or noises, the brakes feel strong, and the steering is appropriately direct. This really does feel like a well-sorted Pagoda.

This really is a lovely Pagoda, with all the right ingredients present. It’s an earlier model, being a 230, and its contrasting roofs provide a wonderful variety of tasteful aesthetics, with the choice of black hard-top or blue soft-top. 

The car drives absolutely beautifully, just as a Pagoda should, and what’s really compelling about this SL is that substantial history file, which proves two very important things: firstly, that a lot of money has been spent over the last decade or so to ensure that everything is just right; secondly, that the SL’s history can be traced right back to 1966. It’s an extremely desirable example, and we expect there to be a lot of interest in this one.

This item is sold on an ‘As is Where is’ basis. The condition of this item is the opinion of the seller and may differ from your own opinion. Photos and listing descriptions are for guidance purposes only*.** Car & Classic do not warrant listing accuracy. Full inspection is recommended. Viewings are at the seller’s discretion. Buyer is responsible for delivery and collection of any item purchased.*